Microfluidics have been used to manipulate fluids in channels with height and width that typically range from 1 to 500 micrometers. Fluids are moved in volumes of nanoliters or microliters. “Lab-on-a-chip” technology has used microfluidics to perform chemical reactions and analyses at very high speeds while consuming small amounts of starting materials. Various chemical reactions require difficult conditions such as high pressure and high temperatures. Microfluidic systems use miniaturized reactors, mixers, heat exchangers, and other processing elements for performing chemical reactions on a miniature scale. Such systems are useful for reactions such as pharmaceutical or laboratory reactions where very small and accurate amounts of chemicals are necessary to successfully arrive at a desired product. Furthermore, use of microfluidic systems increases efficiency by reducing diffusion times and the need for excess reagents.
Applications for microfluidic systems are generally broad, but commercial success has been slow to develop in part because microfluidic devices are difficult and costly to produce. Another significant hurdle in microfluidics is addressing the macroscale to microscale interface. Other considerable problems include clogging of the systems and accumulations of air bubbles that interfere with proper microfluidic system operation. Thus, there is a need for a low cost solution for microfluidic systems. Preferably, but not necessarily, such solution would allow easy replacement of microfluidic components of various types in order to build microfluidic systems and circuits to suit the needs of a particular application such as providing the specific circuit necessary to produce a particular product.
A cartridge system having a manifold with at least one microfluidic component port with at least two input/output terminals for connecting at least one microfluidic component, and a connection block with a system input and a system output is disclosed. A microfluidic component that may be removably attached to the cartridge system is a capillary plug-in, also known as a cartridge, which has a mounting area with at least first and second component input/output terminals and a fastener aperture, fluidic tubing having first and second transport and body portions, and a fastener. The first transport portion is connected to the first component input/output terminal of the mounting block, and the second transport portion is connected to the second component input/output terminal of the mounting area. The first and second transport and body portions are preferably disposed in substantially the parallel planes. Alternatively, the first and second transport portions may be disposed substantially in parallel planes with the body portion disposed in planes substantially perpendicular to the first and second transport portions.
The cartridge system may have several microfluidic component ports with several microfluidic components removably attached thereto. One or more of the microfluidic components may be a microfluidic circuit plug-in, and one or more of the microfluidic components may be a capillary plug-in or a cartridge. Further, input and output fittings can be integrated in a common manifold or in a separate connector block (eg block 32)
The fluidic tubing of the capillary plug-in or cartridge is preferably microfluidic tubing, but may also be small bore tubing and may be composed of glass or plastic. The first transport portion is connected to the body portion, which is connected to the second transport portion. Preferably, the body portion is wound in a coil shape around or inside a spool. Furthermore, the cartridge may have one or two w-rings or other high pressure seals disposed at the first or second input/output terminals for providing a seal between the first or second input/output terminals and the microfluidic component port of the cartridge system when the cartridge is used in a cartridge system.